Government
Amazon Fires Its Lobbying Law Firms in Washington
News
The change comes after passage of the tax overhaul bill last year and in the face of new challenges in the age of President Donald Trump, reports Bloomberg Politics.
Barclays Wins Its DOJ Gamble With $2 Billion Mortgage Settlement
News
Two former executives at the bank also settled Thursday and agreed to pay $2 million to resolve claims without admitting wrongdoing.
The Buy American Act and Trade Agreements Act: Understanding Federal Domestic Preference Requirements
On-Demand
PilieroMazza has posted an on-demand webinar discussing compliance with new laws requiring or providing a preference for the purchase of goods, products, or materials produced in the United States.
State Department Updating Contracting Language to Head Off Confusion
News
The change is intended to head off problems such as the one seen earlier this year when a contractor would not comply with requests for an IT audit of security controls.
Trump Labor Board Member Forgot About Conflict of Interest, Watchdog Says
News
National Labor Relations Board Member William Emanuel violated a White House ethics pledge by participating in a closely watched case involving his former law firm, the NLRB’s inspector general concluded in a report obtained by Bloomberg Law.
Former Jones Day Attorney Tapped For Position at the EEOC
News
The top litigator position at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has been vacant since December of 2016.
Plaintiff Lawyers See Nationwide Settlement As Only End For Opioid Lawsuits
News
The sheer complexity of the litigation raises questions about how the parties will craft an agreement that ends the threat of further lawsuits against the industry while distributing cash to all the varied entities who have sued, reports Forbes.
Accepting a Pardon From Trump Could Add Booster Rockets to State Prosecutions
News
In a landmark decision by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1915, justices stated that individuals have a right to refuse a pardon because “acceptance” of one carries with it a “confession of guilt.”
For the Third Time, Supreme Court to Hear Mandatory Union Dues Arguments
News
The case, appealed by an employee of the state of Illinois, comes after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit rejected his argument that the agency fee violated his rights under the First Amendment.
Mueller Gets Plea, No Cooperation, as Skadden Lawyer Admits Lies
News
Alex van der Zwaan faces as long as six months in jail under advisory guidelines, according to Bloomberg Law.
Justice Department’s No 3 Official to Take Walmart’s Top Legal Job
News
Brand attracted interest because of her potential to assume a key role in the Trump-Russia investigation,” according to the AP.
Commentary: Wells Fargo’s Board Members Are Getting Off Too Easy
Commentary
Lawrence Summers asks: Why aren’t the Wells Fargo directors who are leaving being named and asked to resign effective immediately with an element of humiliation?
SEC Halts Dallas-Based Bank’s Cryptocurrency Sale – But Not Before It Says It Raised $600 Million
News
The Securities and Exchange Commission has halted the sale of AriseCoin, saying it was all part of a more straightforward, old-fashioned investment scam, according to The Dallas Morning News.
SEC Weighs a Big Gift to Companies: Blocking Investor Lawsuits
News
Bloomberg is reporting that the SEC has privately signaled that it’s open to at least considering whether companies should be able to force investors to settle disputes through arbitration.
New Labor Board GC’s Restructuring Plan Worries Senior Officials
News
Senior officials with the National Labor Relations Board have expressed concern over a plan outlined by the board’s new general counsel to demote the senior civil servants who resolve most labor cases, reports >i>The New York Times.
Trump Appointing Judges at Rapid Pace
News
A data analysis by the Los Angeles Times has found that President Trump is ranked sixth of 19 presidents for appointing the highest number of federal judges in their first year.
Suit By 22 State Attorneys General Seeks to Block FCC’s Net Neutrality Repeal
News
The AGs’ complaint argues that the vote last month by the Republican-controlled FCC was an “arbitrary and capricious” change to regulations, according to The Los Angeles Times<
Corporations May Dodge Billions in U.S. Taxes Through New Loophole: Experts
News
The loophole involves the tax rates — 15.5 percent or 8 percent — that companies must pay on $2.6 trillion in profits they are holding abroad, according to Reuters.
Webinar: Contractors and the New Era of Cyber Compliance
Webinar, Jan. 25, 2018, 2 p.m. EST
Washington Technology will present a complimentary webinar on Jan. 25, 2018, to discuss new compliance requirements for securing government data contractor networks.
Former Indiana State Majority Leader Joins Barnes & Thornburg in DC
News
Former Indiana Senate Majority Leader Brandt Hershman has joined Barnes & Thornburg LLP’s Washington, D.C., office as an of counsel attorney in the firm’s Government Services and Finance Department.
